Was going to reply Madame but then realized that's for Messer. By the way, I don't see how "analogy" tag relates to gender.
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ChristianJan 20 '11 at 11:55

1

As an aside, my 19th century French dictionary has the following definition for gentleman: “title given in England to any well-educated man”, which I thought was kind of nice...
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F'xJan 20 '11 at 14:24

I would avoid using those kind of sex-specific nouns unless I knew my audience was OK with them.
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NickJan 20 '11 at 19:34

That's so simple question. But good to have it here
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Ismail SJan 21 '11 at 9:01

2 Answers
2

Gentlemen is to male as lady is to female. Ladies and gentlemen is used to address the audience during a speech, and ladies and gents are used on the signs of public toilets for women and men respectively.

I heard from an old lady a reallady would be the best word
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rbhattaraiJan 20 '11 at 7:42

7

@rbhattrai: The term reallady doesn't exist; although you can sound pompous by saying something like: "She's (you're) a real lady". The definition of "real lady" and "perfect gentleman" are subjective.
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SidJan 20 '11 at 8:42

@iamsid: Gentlewoman sounds a little archaic to me, like something out of a Jane Austen novel [though I can't quote it here :-)]. Perhaps they used gentlewoman to distinguish it from lady, so it didn't sound like the title. I have never heard the word gentlewoman being used in speech.
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TragicomicJan 20 '11 at 9:23

@Tragicomic, @TRiG: The term exists in Shakespeare, for example: When didst thou see me heave up my leg and make water against a gentlewoman's farthingale? (Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV Scene 4, and no I didn't just make that up!). In addition a number of other plays have a character known only as "Gentlewoman" :-)
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psmearsFeb 18 '11 at 21:30

1

I would expect "gentlewoman" to mean a high-born woman (as "gentleman" once meant a high-born man).
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CharlesMay 26 '11 at 18:45